


Finding Light through the Darkness

by Followmeintotheshadows



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Anxiety, Blind Ignis Scientia, Eventual Fluff, Feelings, Gladnis Week 2018, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-07-03 03:07:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15810057
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Followmeintotheshadows/pseuds/Followmeintotheshadows
Summary: Day 7 - Free day! Gladio wakes up realizing Ignis is gone. He has to find him before the storm hits.





	Finding Light through the Darkness

The flash of light piercing Gladio’s heavy eyelids may have been the thing that woke him from a deep, dreamless sleep. More than likely, it was his hand rubbing along the cold, empty space beside him. Either way, he was exhausted, physically and mentally. Something poked his back as he stirred, the sharp corner of a pair of dark glasses almost crushed under his broad shoulders. A rumble of thunder and another flash jolted him upwards, his heartbeat echoing the drumming from the sky. “Iggy?” he whispered, throwing back the blankets and quickly pulling on a pair of sweatpants. Another flash lit up the tent, followed by a boom from the night sky, so close it seemed like it was right overhead. Noct and Prom lay unflinching. Prompto’s arm was draped over the Prince, strategically positioning him farthest from the exit. Their Crownsguard training was foremost and instinctual at this point, always having one eye on their future leader and one hand on the figurative gun. Gladio decided to let them rest. They deserved a solid sleep after the day of combat they had been through, but he had to find Ignis before the storm hit full force.

The swirling wind blew fallen leaves and parched sand in circles around their campsite, bombarding Gladio the moment he unzipped the tent flaps. He threw his arm up to shield his face, the smell of pine filling his lungs the moment he stepped outside. The sudden gust sparked cinders from the campfire. Their light glow spread into small flames again, along with the lingering scent of roasted trout, freshly skewered by the Prince himself. The cold breeze blew past him, like haunting voices over his shoulder, and Gladio shivered as he scanned the dark clearing, frantically looking for any sign of Ignis. It was unlike Iggy to just leave without telling him, especially after the injuries he had sustained in today’s battle. 

Earlier that day, on their journey to Zegnautus Keep, they passed through the old mines; their oppressive darkness a breeding ground for daemons. They were in the thick of the fight, goblins on all sides of them when Gladio saw it. Out of the corner of his eye, Ignis fell hard, his weapons knocked away from his body just as the creature closed in on him. Gladio was there in an instant, wielding his broadsword, obliterating it into a spray of sparks. He pulled Iggy up, immediately heeding unspoken commands behind dark glasses to leave him and protect the Prince. Gladio was back to Noct’s side in seconds, the ingrained duty to the heir unwavering, but the well being of Ignis lingered in the back of his mind. As he replayed the day’s events, it all made perfect sense.

Ignis was exceptionally quiet that afternoon, something not quite right, declining Gladio’s offer to help, and refusing any healing potions. But Gladio could see it from the tree he stood behind, closely watching Ignis at the edge of the running stream, wondering if he was ever going to let him in again. Wondering what it would take to set things right between them, or if it was even possible. Ignis peeled back the ripped, leather gloves that he wore like armor. Parts of his blood covered skin came off with them, revealing cuts and deep scrapes. Gladio was relieved that Iggy couldn’t see how bloody and raw his left hand and wrist was, the icy water turning pink as he attempted to rinse them as best he could. He watched as he wrapped the bandage with shaky hands. He hesitated, struggling to swathe the oozing cuts, not knowing if he was getting it right. Unsure of the everyday things that once came so naturally and gave him a sense of normalcy. As normal as one could be as darkness encroached their everyday existence, the idea of living in a world of ruin an unavoidable reality since the fall of Insomnia. But seeing Ignis wince, unable to mask the pain etched on his face made Gladio lose it, divulging his hiding spot as he rushed to Ignis’s side.

“Ya sure you don’t need help, Iggy?” he asked, lightly grabbing his arm so he wouldn’t be startled. 

“I thought I felt your eyes boring into my back, Gladiolus. I was not aware that I needed babysitting,” Ignis practically hissed. “Shouldn’t you be “shielding” our future King?”

“That’s not fair, Iggy, don’t ever mistake my concern for you as pity,” Gladio’s anger flared. “And don’t ever question my sense of duty.”

He should’ve known that Ignis felt him there - not much escaped the tactician’s keen awareness of his surroundings. It was one of the things Gladio loved about him, but as the chasm between them grew wider, he just wanted to slink back into the cover of the trees. 

“Fine. I’ll leave you to it, you don’t seem to want me around anyway.” Gladio spat out, trudging away, his words drowned out by the roar of the rushing water.

Now, hours later, he still felt the weight of their argument, a hollow feeling stuck in the pit of his stomach. “Fuck,” he cursed to himself. He shouldn’t have walked away. Maybe he should have listened to his heart and not his ego. Their relationship was once so easy, pieces of a puzzle that fit so well together. But lately, those pieces felt more like shattered fragments, not coming together no matter how much he tried to bend them. He carried the guilt of not being there when Ignis lost his sight. He was torn between letting Iggy remain independent and wanting to do everything for him. Every day, it seemed he was walking on eggshells, not knowing how to make things right. Gladio was unsure how to approach the subject and Iggy’s avoiding gaze told him that he wasn’t ready to yet. He would do anything to take some of the pain from Ignis, to share the heavy load, but was growing tired of trying to do the right thing without hurting Iggy’s pride. All the while protecting the Prince, the one thing that was always their number one priority anyway. He cracked his neck back and forth and rubbed his shoulder, realizing he was holding in so much tension. Ignis wasn’t the only one that the ring of Lucii had left blind and scarred, in more ways than either of them cared to admit.

Another thunderclap roared over the lake. Gladio instinctively ran towards it, forging a path through the thick of the trees. “Ignis!” his deep voice called as he ran, not caring that his bare feet were scraping over twigs and brambles, stumbling over rocks and roots, as long as he found Iggy safe and sound. Overgrown branches crowded the way, clawing at his face and snapping back to cover his trail the moment it was passed. His own labored breathing and the approaching thunder was all he could hear, giving Gladio the eerie feeling that he was alone. “Anything with half a brain would take cover,” he thought to himself as he made his way back to the stream, following along its edge, knowing that it dumped out into the lake. By the grace of the Six, he reached the edge just as lightning branched out, illuminating the darkness over the water. For a split second he saw it, a silhouette at the far end of the shoreline with outstretched hands and face towards the thickening clouds. “Iggy!” he yelled again, this time taking off in a sprint, the drumming of the night sky drowning out his cries.

Ignis sat at the edge of the lake wrapping his arms tightly around himself, well aware of the imminent storm. As he heard the thunder rolling closer, he timed the seconds between each frequency, drawing the logical conclusion that he should find shelter. Yet something held him there. He imitated the incoming waves as they lapped along the bank, trying to calm the breaths constricting his chest as he rocked back and forth with each one. He knew Gladio would be upset and perhaps even angry, but Ignis didn’t want to drag him down the hole he seemed to be sinking in. Because Ignis was worried himself. The attacks happened more frequently now, triggered by little things that he kept neatly compartmentalized in his mind. Rain was always one of them. He would never forget the feel of the cold, wet stone bridge pressed up against his skull as he lay helpless, the barrel of a gun thrust into his collar, and drops falling endlessly from the sky. Icy rain, unleashing its assault, as if the Gods were weeping all at once. Fire was another one. A hot fire to Ignis, always meant cooking up a nice meal for his best friends, something that used to bring him solace and joy. Now, just the smell of anything burning reawakened memories of scorching pain and the feeling that his body was burning from the inside out. He had nightmares of red blazes so hot they turned to white before shooting up his torso, their suffocating flames snaking up his neck just before exploding out his eye socket. He clutched his head in his hands just thinking about it, a cold sweat creeping up his spine, as shivers wracked his body. The attacks were coming more frequently now, and he felt powerless to tamp down the fear rising in his mind. Ignis could feel the blood rush from his head as he bowed it between his knees, concentrating on shallow breathing to keep from passing out. Between the forecast and tonight’s campfire, he couldn’t take much more. Tonight was one of those nights when his thoughts spiraled into a deep, dark place and he needed to be alone, never wanting Gladiolus to see this ugly side of him. The side where he felt like a burden, felt the eyes of pity searing into his soul, felt the puckered skin fanning along his brow, over his left eye and creeping down to the edge of his cheekbone. It didn’t help that in the heat of today’s battle, he tripped and fell, his left hand and wrist torn up and grated from the stone floor of the cave. His polearm had rolled out of reach and he had almost impaled himself on his own daggers. If Gladiolus hadn’t been by his side, he might have taken the brunt of the daemon attack, or worse. He didn’t want to be Gladio’s Achilles heel, knowing he’d never forgive himself if anything were to happen to him. The honey caramel eyes he knew so well lingered in his consciousness, staring at him under the straight scar trailing the left side of Gladio’s face. The one that ran across his forehead, angling down at his hairline, all the way to the light scruff on his jawbone. The image was forever burned behind his sightless eyes, the love in them always shining through. Yet Ignis continued to push him away, with hurtful words and stubbornness. Ignis was a damn liability and he knew it.

Another clap of thunder exploded in the sky, breaking Ignis from his remorse. He shuddered, shook his head, and tried to pull himself together. “Not tonight, Ignis Scientia,” he told himself, “you are the advisor to the heir, a trained Crownsguard, too damn logical to be afforded these feelings.” But the words came out in vain.

Like imperial forces rolling in, another rumble resounded around him as he stood up, taking a deep breath of the gusty air. He kicked at the ground, threw his arms and head back as lightning lit up the sky, hoping and pleading to the Gods that he would see a flash, a spark, anything to help him escape the all consuming darkness surrounding him. He could smell the electrical charge, hear the crackle above him, feel the change in air pressure, but not even a sliver of light came through. Ignis crumbled to his knees, warm tears falling from his useless eyes.

Gladiolus caught up to Ignis just before he hit the ground, wrapping him up in his strong arms. “Iggy, what are you doing out here all alone in the middle of the night? You scared me half to death!” His heart pounded in his bare chest as he held on tight.

But only one word escaped Ignis’s barely opened lips. “Noct?” his quiet question disregarding any need for self preservation, while his body lay like dead weight in Gladio’s arms.

“Will be fine Iggy,” Gladio cut him off, trying to get him to stand. “Princess is fast asleep in the tent, just like you and I should be.” The words came out angrier than Gladiolus wanted them to, but he continued with his scolding, his worry and fear coming out as rage. “You could’ve been hit by lightning, attacked by mongrels!”

Ignis stood, but stayed slumped in his arms, not even lifting his head in Gladio’s direction and ignoring his concerns completely. 

“Astrals, Iggy, are you trying to get yourself killed? Look at me!” He regretted the last words as soon as they slipped out, grabbing Ignis in an apologetic embrace, holding his breath as if it would erase the last few seconds. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t…” Gladiolus bit his lip and closed his eyes, tilting his head to the heavens as if asking the Six for strength. They stood in each other’s arms, frozen in this awkward dance, neither one of them willing to take the lead. Lightning flashed again and Gladio took it as a sign, one that would strengthen his resolve to fight. He let out the deep breath that he didn’t realize he was holding, and started over. “Talk to me… please,” he pleaded, gently lifting Ignis’s chin with his hand, determined to take the first step.

“I had to try,” Ignis whispered so low it was a wonder Gladio heard it over the incoming storm. 

He froze before pulling back slowly, still holding onto Ignis’s shoulders. “Try what, Iggy?” his heavy heart sinking in his chest as he waited for the answer. He knew that Ignis’s blindness was fairly new, but being as stubborn as Iggy was, he had never let his frustration show. Gladio was astonished that he was able to adapt so quickly; proud of him for not wanting to be treated any differently because he knew he’d be the same way. 

“It’s foolish, really,” Ignis cast his eyes downward. “I thought that if I came out here and gazed at the sky, that I would possibly see the faintest glint of light. To no avail, not even a flash, but these dastardly tears still work,” he gritted out through his clenched teeth. “Please, Gladiolus, I’d rather not have you see me like this.” 

He winced at Ignis’s use of his proper name, feeling it like a blow to his chest. “I don’t give a damn, Iggy,” he argued, hoping he wasn’t too late, that he wasn’t chasing a ghost of what once was. Gladio watched Ignis’s tears roll down the scarred tracks of his face, wanting so badly to wipe them away. “I’m not walking away this time. Please let me in.”

“You can’t fix this,” Ignis kept his eyes closed, jerking his head and twisting his body away from Gladio’s touch. “You can’t fix me,” he whispered under his breath.

“It doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying.” Gladio took Ignis gently by the shoulders and turned his body towards him again. “Iggy, I would’ve done the same thing. Every day we take crazy risks, sacrificing ourselves. For Noct, for the good of Eos, for the people in this world that deserve a world of light, free of starscourge. All things greater than us, but things we know in our hearts are right.” He paused, gathering up the courage to go on. “But you know what else is right?...Us. You ... me, it’s the one thing in this fucked up world that I’m sure of." Warm, calloused palms cradled both sides of Ignis’s face as Gladio leaned in for a kiss. Gentle at first, lips lightly grazing, until dying embers roared into flames. Until mouths, teeth, and tongues collided, weeks of bottled up feelings spilling over until they were both breathless.

“Gladio, I apologize…” but Ignis’s breathy words were cut short by heated lips on his again, and a forehead pressed against his brow. 

“Shhhh, Iggy, it’ll get better, I promise,” Gladio whispered against the edge of his mouth before pulling back to look at him. “Can I? Please?” Gladio asked as he brushed his thumb over Ignis’s closed eyelids, gently tracing the scars around them. And for the first time since he lost his sight they opened willingly. The green eyes that Gladio loved so much, reduced to the color of sea glass weathered by incessant waves; broken by time and tides but still so beautiful.

Ignis stood perfectly still, concentrating on the feel of Gladio’s rough hands moving so slow and carefully along the contours of his face. Any fears he previously felt were shattered as the walls he so strongly constructed came crashing down with them. All that existed in that moment was the two of them standing at the edge of the lake heedless of the tumultuous weather. “Do you feel that, Iggy?” Gladio whispered, trying to channel all his love into a single touch before placing a kiss over each eyelid.

“Yes.” Ignis melted into Gladio’s gentle caress, revelling in its warmth, as he allowed himself to let go, to stop thinking, and to just feel. Strong arms embraced his body and he relaxed, for the first time in a long time. He could still see the outline of Gladio’s tattoo, black feathers spread across the broad shoulders of the man holding him so reverently against his chest. Iggy traced the beak of an eagle, remembering just the way it looked etched over Gladio’s heart. He heard a sharp intake of breath and smiled.

Of course Gladiolus wasn’t wearing a shirt. Iggy smirked as he rested his head against bare skin, his touch making Gladio’s pulse speed up. “Do you hear that, Iggy? You do that to me,” Gladio’s deep voice dropped another octave, his breathing growing ragged.

“Yes,” Ignis sighed, listening to the strong, passionate heart beat of the man standing before him. The one also filled with selfless loyalty, kindness, and compassion. Ignis knew without a doubt that Gladio would see the goodness in him even if he had hurt his feelings. He vowed then that he would never let that happen again.

Soft lips touched his again, traces of the rich and malty ale that Gladio loved lingering on Iggy’s tongue. He traced Gladio’s bottom lip with it, eliciting a deep moan, “Do you taste that, Iggy?” he felt Gladio’s smile form under his lips and nodded slowly. 

“Then maybe you’re not as blind as you think you are,” Gladio said quietly, attempting to prove a point, while trying not to insult Ignis. “Your eyes will be able to see light soon enough, you just have to be patient and let them heal. You have the patience of the Gods with everyone but yourself. So you fell today, big deal. It could've been any one of us. I don’t want you to think that I’m here because I feel sorry for you or because I feel responsible for you.” Gladio searched Ignis’s face for any sign that his words were sinking in before deciding not to hold anything back anymore. He took Ignis’s hands in his and kissed his open palms, lingering gently over the cuts and scrapes of his injured hand, before continuing. 

“Ignis Scientia, I am here because I love you.” 

Gladio’s words hung in the air, answered by a bolt of lightning cracking and slicing towards them, before crashing into a nearby tree. “Let’s get outta here before we’re turned into a couple of charred garula skewers.” He took Ignis by his uninjured hand and started running back to their campsite, the cloudburst finally releasing from the sky.

They ran as fast as they could as the torrent hit them, backtracking along the stream. Gladio held onto Ignis like he’d never let go. They stayed under the cover of the trees, traversing wet pine needles and weak branches the squall had blasted down. Usually at home within the wilderness, even Gladio was disoriented from the heavy winds and roar of water pelting the ground. The creek bed rose fast, oozing mud into what little trails there were. Trying to use occasional flashes of light as a guide, Gladio saw the fallen branch too late. It seemed the darkened forest was growing thicker by the minute when he tripped, falling hard onto the saturated ground. It was Ignis who helped him up and grabbed his hand this time. “Are you alright? Follow me, Gladio!” Iggy yelled over the pounding rain. “Trust me!”

“I do, Iggy... completely,” Gladio shouted back, impressed at the agility and ease in which Ignis navigated through the deluge. He ushered them past the pines, through towering elms and maples, their decaying leaves dropping as fast as the falling rain. “This way!” Ignis shouted, leading the way by instinct now, not even stumbling once on the obstacles littering the soggy ground. In the distance, Gladio saw the outline of their tent through the wet trees, the rain getting softer as they ran. The thunder receded and the wind had died down as they made their way out of the forest. They reached the clearing just as the rain tapered off, slower and slower until everything was still. As if the world around them sensed the storm was over, the sun began breaking out over the horizon, brilliant rays of yellow and orange spraying up from the earth.

“Well I’ll be damned,” Gladio chuckled, running his free hand through his wet hair, not yet willing to let go of Ignis with the other. He turned to face him, tracing his fingers along Iggy’s wet brow, trying to wipe the rain and hair out of his eyes. Ignis surrendered a smile, one that meant the world to Gladio. Because it was one of pride, not conceit, a resolve that things would be better between them, and that there was nothing they couldn’t conquer together. 

“Good morning, Gladio.” Ignis said softly. "Would you please indulge me a moment and describe it to me?” he nodded his chin slightly towards the brightening skyline.

Once again, Gladio was amazed at the intuitive observation skills that Ignis possessed, but not at all surprised. He hesitated, knowing he wasn’t the one that was good at flowery words, but wanting to get it just right. As he looked towards the horizon, he knew that for Iggy, he’d try his damndest. 

“Well, there’s hints of gold, like the way your hair shines when the sun hits it a certain way, mixed with shades of orange, kinda like the glow of the campfire reflecting off your skin at night.” Gladio found it easier once he started, rambling on as he continued. “The sun’s not strong enough yet to break through the cover of the wet pine trees. It’s casting a green shadow so deep it’s almost black. Definitely not as beautiful as my favorite green, I’m kinda partial to sea green myself,” he turned and ran his thumb under Iggy’s eyes again, watching the smile forming on his lips... “but it’s shining everywhere else. The drying raindrops are like diamonds sparkling off your beautiful face…”

“I love you too, Gladiolus, I always have.” Iggy cut off Gladio’s words as if the conversation at the lake had never been interrupted and it was Ignis this time, taking the lead and leaning in for a kiss. A sweet kiss full of love and understanding that they would always be there for one another. He vowed to himself that he would try to see fire and rain through Gladio’s eyes and it gave him hope.

A loud zip interrupted their private moment as Prompto and Noctis came tumbling out of the tent, stretching and yawning. 

“Hey Big Guy, Specs, why are you all wet? Did it rain?” Prompto asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, his blonde hair sticking up in every direction.

“As if the Six had a melee in the Heavens… Astrals, you two sleep like the dead,” Iggy retorted.

“Awesome!” Noctis burst out, suddenly awake and ready to go. “The fish are always hungry after a storm. Let's go, Prom!” He grabbed two poles and the tackle box and they were bounding towards the stream before Gladio and Ignis could say a word. 

“Shall we join them?” Ignis asked, listening to their footsteps getting farther and farther away. 

“In a little while,” Gladio chuckled grabbing Iggy’s hand and leading him towards the tent. “I have a better idea now that we’re alone. I think we need to get outta these wet clothes.”

“Is that so, Gladio?” Iggy smiled, eagerly following. “I was under the impression that you didn’t have much on to begin with. Watch your step now, you wouldn’t want to trip and fall...”

Darkness be damned, they knew they had each other’s backs no matter what. Today they would enjoy the light. For now it was enough. Because they knew that if there was anything worth living for, worth dying for, worth loving for, it was this.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Zafra for a quick beta session and moral support for my first plunge into the FFXV fic world! Comments are much appreciated and kudos are love.


End file.
